Miyazaki isn’t a stranger to making movies about childhood and things similar to its nature; Totoro would be an obvious example of this fact. He certainly has an eye for making these kinds of stories that his movies could reflect everyday childhood experiences that we have since grown out of and are now living in a fantastical world. The fantasy elements that are a constant staple of the Miyazaki lore have made most of his movies unique to many people, including myself, because of their originality and inventive folklore. Now, that isn’t to say that I’m the biggest Miyazaki fan as much as the next person. However, if there is one film that could never lose its imaginative and beautiful vision in his filmography with each passing viewing, Spirited Away would win at no contest.
In describing what kind of story Spirited Away follows, coming-of-age would be the most logical way of putting it. In that, we follow our main protagonist Chihiro and how she handles certain situations that would prove to be difficult for any other young person such as herself. When she first encounters this Spirit World, she is lost, hopeless, and confused. Not knowing what will happen to her or her parents after being turned into pigs, she finally finds help from other characters willing to help her be acquainted with this world, unlike her own. Once she is acquainted with the Spirit world, we now see her as a strong individual once she is more aware of her surroundings and can take care of herself without the help of Haku. It is by the end of the film an essential point to what makes not only Chihiro a fantastic character but also how Spirited Away paces its story structure.
Art and animation are nothing but superb in Studio Ghibli’s legacy in how they incorporate more emphasis on impressionist-inspired backgrounds with traditional hand-drawn animation. The scope of Miyazaki’s artistic vision is vast and organic in each of his films, and some other Ghibli films not directed by him sometimes lack minimal detail. Spirited Away may not have the most extensive scope in terms of scale, such as his previous films Nausicaä or even Princess Mononoke. I would argue the minimal scope works magnificently with the show’s structure. From the wonderfully drawn buildings to the tiniest detail of rust and wood splinters to the hypnotic waters surrounding the spirit world, it complements Miyazaki’s ascetic vision and Ghibli’s artistic talents exceptionally well.
Regarding the art, the one aspect of it that Spirited Away shines on the most is its creative art designs of the characters of each spirit you come across. They look original and not thought of from the previous animation, despite most of them being inspired by Japanese folklore. It’s not as if most of them are forgettable the minute after you see them. They all stick with you as you go along with the film, how impressive and imaginative the art design is even years after you finish it.
To describe how the character Chihiro is treated, as in how she is portrayed in the film, it would be essential to realize how Miyazaki wrote her as to how a real child would act. You’ve probably seen kids that behave like Chihiro, or you may have been like here at her age, and that behavior would be considered “bratty” or “immature.” But these shouldn’t be seen as negatives since, realistically, kids are at her age, as you see Chihiro before she goes to the spirit world. We see Chihiro go through hardship when she arrives through the spirit world, and then we have this sense of hoping for her to succeed due to her bravery and strong courage to help her parents. It gives her a sense of humanity that could make you feel so much empathy for her as not only just some drawing in motion but as a human being in the flesh in some ways.
Other characters such as Kamajii, Lin, Kaonishi, and Yubaba fill in the cast quite nicely. Kamajii and Lin fill in as likable slight comic relief characters giving Spirited Away an excellent needed level of charm from the voice acting and dialogue. Yubaba, at first, does seem like the main villain, but from how you see around it, there isn’t a villain in this movie. She’s nothing more than just a woman who wants to run her bathhouse in a very traditional way that has no ambition to do anything evil in nature. Kaonishi, the spirit that follows Chihiro in the bathhouse, gives the film a vulnerable side from his troubles of being alone, all through no dialogue at all, at least from his voice.
Now we come to music. Composed by Joe Hisaishi, Miyazaki’s main collaborator in almost all of his films as a composer, it is pure excellence in Hisaishi’s backlog. This excellence shouldn’t be surprising, considering how he composes scores from listening to his songs, how they interact with what is going on, and how it leads the story from each scene to another. These aspects are accomplished by how Hisaishi makes the songs so vibrant. I guarantee that there is not one person in the world with a clear conscience who listens to “One Summer’s Day” and does not burst into tears.
With utmost sincerity, Spirited Away is Hayao Miyazaki’s magnum opus. Though many will claim this to be his most “accessible” film in his filmography, especially the Miyazaki “purists,” it is the film with the most heart out of the rest. It’s the type of film that almost hurts to love. You feel so vulnerable watching this, yet you feel a sense of awe because you're mesmerized by how much Miyazaki put sublime creativity into making Spirited Away. From all of its likable characters, brilliant pacing, memorable score, and a great coming of age story, from what minor minimal flaws there are to be found in the film, it is all worthwhile to take in what is grandeur and admire it wholeheartedly. Like its atmosphere, nostalgia is part of how special Spirited Away is. Not nostalgia in the sense of how you were a kid when you first saw it, but from how it invokes nostalgia from the film’s ambiance of showcasing childhood curiosity and adventure. Something which more kids films need to learn from in future generations.
Grade: A+
